Thursday, October 13, 2011

"Grave Rehearsal" and "Terror Below"

Today we shall complete our study of Witch's Tales Vol. 3 No. 1 with two shameless swipes from pre-code, Ajax/Farrell publications. This first filthy tale of mud and death was origianlly published in Strange Fantasy, August 1953.

Certainly, some may find it strange that the slander mag publisher of "Grave Rehearsal" so eagerly accepts a health resort invitation from a woman named "Madame Satin," who wears a skull ring and sends a box of mud from Transalvania as a sample of her services. Dear Miss Satin also enjoys dressing in black and carries a whip for good measure. But, in perfect honesty, whom among us wouldn't be rushing to book the next flight? Flesh is, after all . . . weak.

This second tale, "Terror Below," first saw the light of day in Haunted Thrills, November 1953. "As you sow, so shall you reap" proclaims the well-known English proverb - a thought perfectly suited to the following. Myself, I have always preferred the brutal directness of another English proverb: "What goes around, comes around." I hope now one's allergic to shell fish!

Folksie: You know what? I like the new graphic viewer, too! Credit must go to Blogger, though. They tried this once before but didn't keep it long. I hope they stick with it this time. Like you, I love it!

Eerie Publications published horror magazines cheap and quick - with a quivering eye to the naked dollar. No fine-art pretense here; not by a goddamned far cry. Eerie slithered under the comics code by publishing their mags in an oversized, black and white format; thus they were classified as magazines not comics. The concept was to catch the adolescent male’s attention with lurid covers of gore (popped eyeballs a speciality), sex, and primary colors. What can one say but "Mission Accomplished!"

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Owner of Eerie Publishing, Myron Fass, started in the business as a comic book artist but at some point decided to make some money. He began publishing magazines on the cheapest pulp paper available, using artists and writers who, for a variety of reasons, worked cheap. His magazines had covers vibrant with severed heads, staked vampires, and dangling eyeballs; and the stories within were often "retellings" done up bloody or straight-up reprints without the slightest nod given to source material. This low-ball strategy, so clearly a fevered clutch at the adolescent dollar, was the successful bulwark of Fass’ publishing empire. Along with the horror titles celebrated here, Fass published dozens of other special-interest magazines like Brute, Buccaneer, Duke, and Official UFO (to name but a few).

The late publisher has been called a shlockmeister, a con-man, a rip-off artist, a smut peddler, and a brilliant businessman; and his publications have been called cheap, tawdry, blasphemous, low-rent, and sleazy. Mr. Fass and his magazines were all these things and so much more. After his retirement from publishing, he owned and operated a gun store in Florida. He died in 2006.

. . . Fass’ legacy lies like a cheap vampire in darkness, awaiting the call of tacky blood. Let the memories stalk the earth like fetid, sewer zombies - memories of riding my bike to Cunningham’s Drug Store, rushing inside like a sweaty neophyte to stand before the immense rack where the magazines were displayed for my pleasure. In the dank, wet halls of memory, I can still feel that jolt of prurient electricity upon seeing the newest issue of Terror Tales or Tales From the Tomb nearly glistening in bright slime among the other dull publications. Oh, Brothers, hear me! It is Thursday afternoon, and the new magazines are in! - Mykal

** A brief note about The Horrors Of It All: Many of Eerie Publication's stories came from earlier, pre-code horror comics, given a quick re-write and fresh art for a more slimy, gory second life! Let's think of them as "homages!" THOIA specializes in these original, pre-code horror stories. Go and look, damn you!!

The Bloody Pulp uses Mike Howlett's book, The Weird World of Eerie Publications, as a primary source of information for all posts.